Tools for collaboration, as a follow on from last weeks work I aim to continue with the idea of building a platform for people to engage with, tell their stories and hopefully create art work that could be used further down the line in a series of workshops and exhibitions. The main focus of the platform is to collect information, there for I believe in a simplicity that will hopefully encourage people to engage. I have to concede that the target audience of some of the events may not be completely computer literate and therefor I will make efforts that ensure usability and simplicity is key. I would like to build a tool into the website that encourages users to develop a protest or graphic poster, this simple tool will have the ability to apply type, change colour and have a series of simple shapes. The aim here is to produce a simple protest poster that takes inspiration from their account of an event. I have proposed a series of given events but as information is collected and a book published, the need for other information will be updated on the platform. The style of the website is relatively flat, and adopts the flat graphic style. This is something I like, feel is neutral to each event but on reflection of my design thus far I could elaborate on some key areas such as the ‘logo’ and maybe add more of a texture to add a certain grit.
The feedback I was given from module 2 was that I should explore my practice and try new approaches to my design outcomes. This week I feel that I have tried to explore and learn animation, I have tried this in previous weeks but now I am beginning to learn more about After Effects and how the software works. At this point, this has been the biggest learning curve for the past few weeks. While I have been asked to produce or consider the questions at hand due to a lack of internet I have felt withdrawn from the course and have struggled to connect with the content. I, therefore, have focused my time on expanding my knowledge and skillset with animation. This is a process that I would very much like to explore further and that I would like to use in next weeks task that asks us to consider our position in being a design entrepreneur.
After the webinar this week I had received good feedback from the idea that I had proposed, Alec had too commented on the design and the visual language was good but yet I still felt that I had more to work on and improve the visual language to ensure that my target audience understood the project and would trust that their stories and information were in good hands. While I liked the style and the idea of my first design I reflected that it could appear too informal and maybe did not show a consideration to the events that were in question. For this reason I had developed the design and the user journey. Participants are welcomed to the website with an about section. This aims to provide an insight into the project. Users will already be accustomed to the idea of the project through their engagement with the social media aspects of the project.
Having sat looking at this idea for some time now with my pitch deck I am still not happy with the design, so I tried again. This time I have used Adobe Xd just to see what it is like. Turns out very good indeed. My web design skill still need some development however during this module I feel that I have taken on board some of the feedback given from the last module and have developed my digital skills in learning Ae and now Xd. All useful skills I believe in order to deliver clients a snap shot of their project and how users can interact with the platform.
https://xd.adobe.com/view/4de70458-7c68-4746-7178-a6a2a9b8e672-3bd6/?fullscreen
The idea of collaboration within this project and platform is essential to its success. Through the weeks leading up to this, I have considered a range of roles as a designer or creative, I have placed myself in the middle as a facilitator and curator of ideas. While I believe that my platform for collaboration is essential, easy to navigate I believe that to further develop this MVP I would need to work with others to define and refine the visual language. I have considered the use of typeface, colour and image and while this has resulted in the outcome that I see as being clean and focused, on reflection I question its style and merit. The second illustrated iteration of the platform had a style and visual language of its own that I could have seen adapted but the nature of its illustration I questioned the trust that people would lay upon it. Would participants have engaged and trusted the website considering its illustrated nature? This is the reason for a change and development towards using an image as the focus as I believe it places an emphasis on the individual and the idea of personal stories. A further reflection of this image, I question the connotation that it may bring, It was not my intention to paint participants as a thug or vandal but initially believed that this image represented and would resonate with the people involved in the London riots. To further develop the design aesthetic I would include a different image for each of the events, broadening the appeal to a range of participation. One of the things that I have enjoyed in this last few weeks has been the push to develop my illustration and motion graphics, okay they are not to a high level at this stage but I believe that this is an area that I would like to pursue and further develop. Maybe a future project could be to illustrate and animate stories missed stories from people and create short ‘cartoon’ like episodes that could be built on the mobile screen size, specifically for social media.
Pixels and Serifs. 